1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to managing energy usage within a facility, and more specifically to monitoring, controlling, and reporting energy consumption of electrical devices within a home or building.
2. Description of the Related Art
The high cost of electrical energy today creates the need for energy consumers to be able to monitor and analyze the energy usage of electrical devices and reduce the amount of energy consumption within a facility. The term “facility” is construed as any self-contained or multi-occupancy premises for private, public, or professional use. The term “electrical devices” is construed as any device that is plugged into electrical outlets in the facility and draws power from the electrical system of the facility. The term “electrical device” may be used interchangeably with the term “appliance”.
Prior art patents related to the subject matter of the illustrative embodiments include U.S. Pat. No. 6,993,417B2 which discloses a system in which energy-related information is gathered at electrical junction boxes in a facility. The information is visually displayed and communicated to a centrally located intelligent device, where the information is then monitored, and analyzed, and used for energy-related control functions. U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20030050737A1 also discloses a system that gathers energy-related information (electrical and thermal) at electrical junction boxes and displays the information at the point of energy use or measurement. The information is also communicated to a centrally located intelligent device for monitoring, analyzing, and used for energy-related control functions.